Biomaterial Database

Autopsies of COVID-19 deceased? Absolutely! 2020

Jan-Peter Sperhake

Department of Legal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Butenfeld 34, D-22529 Hamburg, Germany. Electronic address: sperhake@uke.de.

Autopsies are an essential tool for understanding new diseases. Against this background, it is incomprehensible why there is great reluctance worldwide to perform autopsies on COVID-19 deceased patients. The article provides an overview of the status of the autopsy series published worldwide and shows the path taken by the city of Hamburg in Germany, where autopsies are ordered by the health authorities in the interests of disease control. The risk of infection posed by SARS-CoV-2-positive deceased persons may be overestimated. The scientific benefit that can be drawn from experience with autopsies and further examination of tissue samples is immeasurable.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D010337	Pathology Department, Hospital	Hospital department which administers and provides pathology services.	Hospital Pathology Department,Department, Hospital Pathology,Pathology Departments, Hospital,Departments, Hospital Pathology,Hospital Pathology Departments
D011024	Pneumonia, Viral	Inflammation of the lung parenchyma that is caused by a viral infection.	Pneumonias, Viral,Viral Pneumonia,Viral Pneumonias
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000073640	Betacoronavirus	A genus of the family CORONAVIRIDAE which causes respiratory or gastrointestinal disease in a variety of mostly mammals. Human betacoronaviruses include HUMAN ENTERIC CORONAVIRUS; HUMAN CORONAVIRUS OC43; MERS VIRUS; and SEVERE ACUTE RESPIRATORY SYNDROME-RELATED CORONAVIRUS. Members have either core transcription regulatory sequences of 5’-CUAAAC-3’ or 5’-CUAAAC-3’ and mostly have no ORF downstream to the N protein gene.	HCoV-HKU1,Human coronavirus HKU1,Pipistrellus bat coronavirus HKU5,Rousettus bat coronavirus HKU9,Tylonycteris bat coronavirus HKU4,Betacoronaviruses
D000086382	COVID-19	A viral disorder generally characterized by high FEVER; COUGH; DYSPNEA; CHILLS; PERSISTENT TREMOR; MUSCLE PAIN; HEADACHE; SORE THROAT; a new loss of taste and/or smell (see AGEUSIA and ANOSMIA) and other symptoms of a VIRAL PNEUMONIA. In severe cases, a myriad of coagulopathy associated symptoms often correlating with COVID-19 severity is seen (e.g., BLOOD COAGULATION; THROMBOSIS; ACUTE RESPIRATORY DISTRESS SYNDROME; SEIZURES; HEART ATTACK; STROKE; multiple CEREBRAL INFARCTIONS; KIDNEY FAILURE; catastrophic ANTIPHOSPHOLIPID ANTIBODY SYNDROME and/or DISSEMINATED INTRAVASCULAR COAGULATION). In younger patients, rare inflammatory syndromes are sometimes associated with COVID-19 (e.g., atypical KAWASAKI SYNDROME; TOXIC SHOCK SYNDROME; pediatric multisystem inflammatory disease; and CYTOKINE STORM SYNDROME). A coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, in the genus BETACORONAVIRUS is the causative agent.	2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease,2019 Novel Coronavirus Infection,2019-nCoV Disease,2019-nCoV Infection,COVID-19 Pandemic,COVID-19 Pandemics,COVID-19 Virus Disease,COVID-19 Virus Infection,Coronavirus Disease 2019,Coronavirus Disease-19,SARS Coronavirus 2 Infection,SARS-CoV-2 Infection,Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection,COVID19,2019 nCoV Disease,2019 nCoV Infection,2019-nCoV Diseases,2019-nCoV Infections,COVID 19,COVID 19 Pandemic,COVID 19 Virus Disease,COVID 19 Virus Infection,COVID-19 Virus Diseases,COVID-19 Virus Infections,Coronavirus Disease 19,Disease 2019, Coronavirus,Disease, 2019-nCoV,Disease, COVID-19 Virus,Infection, 2019-nCoV,Infection, COVID-19 Virus,Infection, SARS-CoV-2,Pandemic, COVID-19,SARS CoV 2 Infection,SARS-CoV-2 Infections,Virus Disease, COVID-19,Virus Infection, COVID-19
D000086402	SARS-CoV-2	A species of BETACORONAVIRUS causing atypical respiratory disease (COVID-19) in humans. The organism was first identified in 2019 in Wuhan, China. The natural host is the Chinese intermediate horseshoe bat, RHINOLOPHUS affinis.	2019 Novel Coronavirus,COVID-19 Virus,COVID19 Virus,Coronavirus Disease 2019 Virus,SARS Coronavirus 2,SARS-CoV-2 Virus,Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2,Wuhan Coronavirus,Wuhan Seafood Market Pneumonia Virus,2019-nCoV,2019 Novel Coronaviruses,COVID 19 Virus,COVID-19 Viruses,COVID19 Viruses,Coronavirus 2, SARS,Coronavirus, 2019 Novel,Coronavirus, Wuhan,Novel Coronavirus, 2019,SARS CoV 2 Virus,SARS-CoV-2 Viruses,Virus, COVID-19,Virus, COVID19,Virus, SARS-CoV-2,Viruses, COVID19
D001344	Autopsy	Postmortem examination of the body.	Autopsies,Post-Mortem Examination,Postmortem Examination,Examination, Post-Mortem,Examination, Postmortem,Examinations, Post-Mortem,Examinations, Postmortem,Post Mortem Examination,Post-Mortem Examinations,Postmortem Examinations
D017053	Infection Control	Programs of disease surveillance, generally within health care facilities, designed to investigate, prevent, and control the spread of infections and their causative microorganisms.	Control, Infection
D017758	Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional	The transmission of infectious disease or pathogens from patients to health professionals or health care workers. It includes transmission via direct or indirect exposure to bacterial, fungal, parasitic, or viral agents.	Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional,Transmission, Patient-to-Professional,Disease Transmission, Patient-Professional,Infection Transmission, Patient-Professional,Pathogen Transmission, Patient-Professional,Patient-to-Professional Disease Transmission,Patient-to-Professional Transmission,Transmission, Patient-Professional,Disease Transmission, Patient Professional,Disease Transmission, Patient to Professional,Infection Transmission, Patient Professional,Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient to Professional,Pathogen Transmission, Patient Professional,Patient to Professional Disease Transmission,Patient to Professional Transmission,Patient-Professional Disease Transmission,Patient-Professional Infection Transmission,Patient-Professional Infection Transmissions,Patient-Professional Pathogen Transmission,Patient-Professional Transmission,Transmission, Patient Professional,Transmission, Patient to Professional,Transmission, Patient-Professional Infection,Transmission, Patient-Professional Pathogen
D058873	Pandemics	Epidemics of infectious disease that have spread to many countries, often more than one continent, and usually affecting a large number of people.	Pandemic